Club level guests can buy more fast passes?

[TheMaxRebo]

If they started letting Deluxe guests purchase FP, I definitely think those staying in moderates and values would feel the same way we all do right now. Why do they get the right to purchase when we do not.

Who knows what direction they will go with this. I am sure there is going to be all sorts of pilots and testing to try to find a sweet spot. They could eventually go with letting everyone have the right to purchase three, or they might base it on your resort. Club and Deluxe can purchase three, moderates two, and values one. For all we know they could introduce a no strings attached Super FP for purchase that guarantees one ride on all rides in a park on a given day. Possibilities are endless with the Magic Bands, and you know they have people working on all sorts of scenarios to increase revenue.

They get the right because they are spending more money to Disney ... just like how if you stay on site you get to book FP 60 days out vs 30 days for off site guests because you are giving more $ to Disney

I think it will be interesting to see how this progresses going forward. Really feels like a lot of the movies are around them prepping for the expected crowd surge when Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge opens - what with giving the Good Neighbor hotels the 60 day FP+ and other benefits to basically extend the number of Value rooms they have to offer, and then testing out the VIP tour at Animal Kingdom which is largely a way to let people pay for a FP for Flight of Passage, etc. They know it is going to be crazy for people to get FP for the Star Wars attractions and figuring out now the best way to enable people to pay for them is something they seem to be working on

 

[HuskieJohn]

I applaud Disney for essentially developing a FP+ tax on those who are too busy, lazy or uninformed to use the refresh option on MDE to get additional FPs after exhausting their original three. An option, I might add, which appears to be unphased by this if the three additional FPs are anytime FPs that are not booked in the system in advance. Does it help with advance planning (for those who can't stomach the risk of same-day extra FPs or need double the FPs already offered)? Sure - but until the refresh option stops batting near 1.000, it still seems like a sucker bet.

That works for someone who goes several times a year or even once every year but...My family gets a once every 5+ year trip to WDW and we only have 1 day at each park. We do the rope drop and the touring plan which works extremely well but the opportunity to guarantee 3 more FP+ for rides or attractions we want vs hoping that a 4th FP+ is available for something that we want that is not totally across the park THEN do it over again for the 5th and 6th passes seem like a time saver for such an infrequent trip. To pay 5% of our trip to fit in a few more rides with minimal wait seems worth while.

Though we aren't staying in a club room so it might not be an option to begin with when we go in Spring of 2020.

 

[HuskieJohn]

I think this will have way less of an impact on FP availability vs. the people that would use multiple magic bands to book twice or 3 times as many FP's at a time. Imagine a family of 4 with 3 magic bands each. It was not that uncommon just 6 months ago until Disney closed that loophole. Now if they can get rid of throw away rooms it will also increase FP availability to on site guest.

How? I thought a throw away room just opened your window to the 60 mark rather than the 30 day mark. Everyone still has their 3 FP+ booked when they actually get to the park that day.

 

[charmed59]

Just like the pixie dust anytime fast passes handed out for downed rides, oopsies, or just because and the return times from DAS passes, I expect this fairly small relative number of extra FPs won’t make a noticeable difference in the FP system or in the FP lines.

 

[Nole95]

Universal Studios makes you pay for their express pass to skip the line. They give you one for free at the high end hotels but not at the lower ones. That would be similar to Deluxe getting something instead of Value.

Then there's this. Disney is basically wanting to charge for something that Universal gives away as a perk if you stay at one of their "deluxe" resorts. From this perspective, it is even more of a money grab by Disney. I'd have much more respect for them if they were to give this as a perk for CL guests, rather than trying to nickel and dime even more.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Just like the pixie dust anytime fast passes handed out for downed rides, oopsies, or just because and the return times from DAS passes, I expect this fairly small relative number of extra FPs won’t make a noticeable difference in the FP system or in the FP lines.

I fully agree with this - but like a lot of moves Disney does it isn't necessarily about this move, but what is the next one? Is this just a one time thing as far as explicitly charging for Fastpasses - or just the tip of the iceberg to come?

 

[JETSDAD]

I fully agree with this - but like a lot of moves Disney does it isn't necessarily about this move, but what is the next one? Is this just a one time thing as far as explicitly charging for Fastpasses - or just the tip of the iceberg to come?

I think they're likely figuring out exactly how much value people will put on FP's and advanced booking of them in order to build it into increased room pricing with those features built in.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I think they're likely figuring out exactly how much value people will put on FP's and advanced booking of them in order to build it into increased room pricing with those features built in.

I agree - what is the point people are willing to pay and how does it work best, etc. - especially ahead of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and how hard those FPs will be to come by - what would people pay to gurantee they get on both rides with minimal wait, etc.

 

[ShadeDK]

Interesting - was that for a single person or family/party of 4? Just trying to think of who might look to use this

I had a party of 3. I've read other threads on here of those with similar experience with parties ranging from 1 to 6 guests. The larger the party, the harder to find same-day FPs (although the suggestion then is to split into groups for the search). It's not a perfect solution and it may take patience - but it's an alternative. I'll add that it worked the entire time I was there last month over several days at all parks (picking up multiple same-day FPs for 7DMT, FoP, Space Mountain, Test Track, Soarin, ToT, BTMRR, POTC, and others).

Don't forget those who are too busy parenting and being fully present for their children during the family vacation to keep their noses in their phones, refreshing incessantly to try to score another FP. It seems you'd want to punish them, too.

Whoa, now - who said anything about punishing people? I never said that they shouldn't offer it - just that there are alternatives. Disney upsells usually offer 1 to 3 features: (1) convenience; (2) exclusivity; and/or (3) peace of mind. The value of those to any particular guest is subjective - and more than a few are willing to pay extra for what they believe is valuable. But understanding value also means understanding the market - and the availability of same-day FPs may change that calculation for some, no?

That works for someone who goes several times a year or even once every year but...My family gets a once every 5+ year trip to WDW and we only have 1 day at each park. We do the rope drop and the touring plan which works extremely well but the opportunity to guarantee 3 more FP+ for rides or attractions we want vs hoping that a 4th FP+ is available for something that we want that is not totally across the park THEN do it over again for the 5th and 6th passes seem like a time saver for such an infrequent trip. To pay 5% of our trip to fit in a few more rides with minimal wait seems worth while.

I think that fits in with my comment above this - for some people, the value is the convenience and peace of mind over the alternative. Almost a form of insurance. Which gets to the broader issue with this: I'm not knocking the people that might buy it - they'll all have their own reasons - it's the circumstances of why they'd buy it to begin with. That falls on Disney - crowding in the parks, long lines, the requirement to book everything months in advance, ever-increasing costs, and fanning the concern that if you don't pay to play your Disney experience will be "less magical" than it could be.

 

[Nancyg56]

If they started letting Deluxe guests purchase FP, I definitely think those staying in moderates and values would feel the same way we all do right now. Why do they get the right to purchase when we do not.

Who knows what direction they will go with this. I am sure there is going to be all sorts of pilots and testing to try to find a sweet spot. They could eventually go with letting everyone have the right to purchase three, or they might base it on your resort. Club and Deluxe can purchase three, moderates two, and values one. For all we know they could introduce a no strings attached Super FP for purchase that guarantees one ride on all rides in a park on a given day. Possibilities are endless with the Magic Bands, and you know they have people working on all sorts of scenarios to increase revenue.

And there you have it. The beginning of acceptance of purchasing FP. "How come "they" can buy them? I want to buy them too." You have captured how this will melt all the way through the resort levels. I believe that this test is more than just a determination is this very small group of guests who tend to spend more per night for additional services will be willing to add more money for a relatively small return. It is also a test to see how other guests respond to this "perk" IF enough folks express interest in making purchase, they will get their wish. Pay for play.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

And there you have it. The beginning of acceptance of purchasing FP. "How come "they" can buy them? I want to buy them too." You have captured how this will melt all the way through the resort levels. I believe that this test is more than just a determination is this very small group of guests who tend to spend more per night for additional services will be willing to add more money for a relatively small return. It is also a test to see how other guests respond to this "perk" IF enough folks express interest in making purchase, they will get their wish. Pay for play.

Yup - pretty soon it will be that you have purchase additional tickets just to get on the rides at all. Maybe they could put them in a booklet and differentiate them by labeling the tickets A through E depending on what ride they are good for

I hear you though, this is where it is headed and a lot of things they have been trying feel like tests to see what people are willing to pay for a hard-to-get FP

 

[ArwenMarie]

It makes perfect sense to offer this to Club-Level guests first, they are the ones who are already willing to buy the most expensive rooms.

Even if this is just a test and it expands, it will be interesting to see how far they can expand it. At a certain point, they will completely break the FP lines

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It makes perfect sense to offer this to Club-Level guests first, they are the ones who are already willing to buy the most expensive rooms.

Even if this is just a test and it expands, it will be interesting to see how far they can expand it. At a certain point, they will completely break the FP lines

and then they will start charging you to get to use the now shorter standby lines

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

UPDATE: They also get 90 days for their fast passes and special nightime viewing! Still a lot of money. Hopefully not too many people go for it, since that will mean less fp for us at 60 days.
It also allows for multiple fp for top tier attractions. Ugh.
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2018/01/confi...e-show-viewing-new-theme-park-extra-offering/

 

[bladiator]

For real, there's something terribly satisfying about refreshing the MDE app and finding fastpass after fastpass for high demand rides. All while the wait time is atrocious, especially in Hollywood Studios. It's not even that difficult or time consuming. I usually have another good one lined up while waiting in the current fastpass line. My expectations aren't as high as Flight of Passage but I've gotten just about everything else including Frozenstrom (which my son really didn't appreciate) and Seven Dwarves Mine Train in MK. It's fun just to see what can be found when other people change their plans.

I told my wife after our last trip that I think I got a bigger dopamine hit from getting difficult FPs online than from the actual rides.

Also:
RIP 60-day FOP FPs

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

As someone else brought up on a different thread, seeing as a dessert party can run $80 a person, does the special nighttime viewing mean some might choose this over a dessert party? I think I sure would as extra fastpasses add more value to me than dessert bites.

 

[NJlauren]

I told my wife after our last trip that I think I got a bigger dopamine hit from getting difficult FPs online than from the actual rides.

Also:
RIP 60-day FOP FPs

I always say this getting a coveted ADR or FP gets me a happy high! Especially if I book the trip less then 180 or 60 days out!

 

[mikebb]

and then they will start charging you to get to use the now shorter standby lines

Bwahahahaa!!!

Laughing but also thinking about standing in a FP line for an E-ticket and reminiscing about the good ol' days when having a FP basically got you a walk-on...

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

How? I thought a throw away room just opened your window to the 60 mark rather than the 30 day mark. Everyone still has their 3 FP+ booked when they actually get to the park that day.

people that actually stay on site get 60 days, people that do not stay on site get 30. The throw away room gives off site guest an additional 30 days thus giving less availability to on site guest.

 

[Miffy]

For those of you who think this sounds pricey, think of all the people paying for the various VIP tours WDW now offers. I was at WDW Dec 12th thru the 20th and saw a lot of these tour groups in all the parks. I hadn't heard of it beforehand, so I looked it up after seeing the first group. They're obvious because the group is being led by a cast member in the traditional red plaid vest garb, btw.

So . . . how much do these things cost? Per the WDW site, pricing varies between $425 and $600 per hour depending on the season and the minimum duration of a tour is 7 hours and the price doesn't include park admission. The cheapest tour, then would be $425 x 7 = $2,975 + park admission for each person in your party. People are apparently willing to pay this as I saw more than a few instances of these VIP tour groups 3 weeks ago.

Compared to that a mere $50 per day for FP+s is chump change. To Disney, I mean.